Crossing signal



J. BIGGIE CROSSING SIGNAL Oct. 28 1924.

Filed March 1. L924 MIII.

I er, |5111 Patented ct. 28, 1924,

JOSEPH BIGGE, F ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CROSSING SIGNAL.

Application filed March l, 1924. Serial No. 696,201.

.To all inkom it may concern.:

Be it known that l, doseren' Bloom, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Crossing Signals; and l' do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

ing signals, and has for its object the providing of electric apparatus adapted to be operated by the wheels of a. railroad train, by means of which a signal can be given at a crossing warning' ofthe approach of a train.

The features of my invention are hereinafter described and pointed out and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of suitable apparatus, partially in diagrammatic form, embodying my invention. f

Figure 2 is a transverse section of a railroad trackrail on the line 2 2- in Fig. l.

ln these drawings A indicates a. railroad track rail, and A indicates the cross-ties.

Upon two ofthe cross-ties, at a suitable distance from a crossing, l place a metal stirrup B. upon which I secure the base plate C of a spring actuated make and break mechanism, consisting of a rock lever C which is pivoted on a post c, the free end of said lever C being provided with an extension C2 which extends above the top surface of the rail A, so that a car wheel D will press down the lever C when the wheel passes over it.

Upon the plate C is placed a resilient contact element, preferably in the form of a spirali)v wound electric conductor, on the under side of the lever C is placed ametallic contact plate F adapted to 'contact with the coil E when the lever C pressed downward.

To maintain the lever in a raised position so that the plate F will be out of con- This invention relates to railroad crosstact with the coil ll), l provide a spring G., The rear end of the lever C extends to a point over a post H, which prevents the front end of the lever C from being forced above a horizontal position as shown in Fig. l.

From the contact coil E an electric conductor J extends to an alarm rdevice K at the crossing, and from the contact plate ll on the leverl C another conductor L eX- tends to a generator L', and from thence to said alarm device K, so that as each wheel of the moving train depresses the lever C the Vcircuit. is closed, after being opened by the action of the spring G- thereby causing an intermittent alarm at the crossing. lfl desired a light K can be placed in the circuit which will flash as each car wheel depresses the lever C. lf desired a number of these make and break mechanisms can be placed at different distances from crossing, so that the signal of the approaching train can be given until the train is on the crossing'.

Having thus fully described and illustrated my invention so that others can utilize the same, l do not desire to be limited to the exact construction sho-wn and described as many modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of my invention, therefore, what I claim as new and desire to secure bylietters Patent is:

ln a railroad crossing signal, a railroad track rail, a series of spacedtransverse cross-'ties under said rail, a metallic stirrup placed upon a pair of said cross-ties parallel with and outside of saidrail, a base plate mounted on said stirrup parallel with said rail, a fulcrum post on said base plate, a horizontal lever pivoted on said fulcrum post, a shoulder on said lever extending above the upper plane of said rail, means to yieldinglv maintain said lever in a hori zontal position, a contact plate on the under side of said lever, a yielding contact plate mounted on saidbase plate, an electric signal device, and an electric circuit, including a generator, connecting said contact plates and said signal device.

In testimony whereof I aftiXmy signature.

JOSEPH BIGGIE. 

